Thursday Morning. The house’s four bedrooms are full. I am up first and make the first pot of stove top espresso. Shots ring out – I think it is hunting season as I have heard shots every morning. There cannot be much wildlife hiding in these wooded hills anymore.

More friends arrived last night from Florence and 6 of us had a fabulous dinner at Osteria La Brilla, the restaurant of Villa La Bianca. This restaurant is a member of the slowfood association, symbolized by the snail. It means that everything is prepared fresh. Nothing is pre-made. Who cares if it takes a little longer when you are in good company and you have a few bottles of fabulous local wine. I forgot to take some photos, but we will be back during the next couple of weeks. Another shot, this one sounding fairly close.

I stayed at Villa La Bianca in 2002. A former factory has been beautifully restored into a bed and breakfast by a group of local people. Highly recommended.

Today is the first morning I did not wake up to lots and lots of rain. Shopping awaits in Lucca as I only have one pair of socks and discovered a hole in one of them yesterday. Maybe a new pair of shoes as well. I have only one pair of M3dium shoes, and the leather is drenched from four days of rain. Boom, another shot. Sounds amazing in these hills. 7 shots before 8AM. Did I mention we have a blue sky and sunshine?